Summer 2012 IBLF Newsletter

The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum newsletter

“IB should benefit from London 2012 legacy”

... London 2012 shows what the UK is capable of in terms of massive projects, real

innovation, sound engineering and cutting edge technology.

Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum

Newsletter August 2012

Photo ©iStockphoto.com/JohnnyGreig

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Biofuel demand skyrockets for BrocklesbyIn response to growing demand, Brocklesby Ltd, a company that recycles used cooking oil and food waste, has constructed a new processing plant in a joint venture with a major biofuels manufacturer to supply the market with increasing demand for biodiesel from waste products.

Brocklesby is a family owned company based in East Yorkshire. Their innovative processing techniques and connections to a bespoke food waste supply chain allow them to use edible oils and food products as the prime ingredient to convert to biofuels and biofuel precursors.

The company has recently completed its new innovative “waste-to-biofuel” facility that expands its ability to extract oils and fats from the waste streams produced by food manufacturers. The process will add a further 50,000 tonnes capacity to one of its main customers. Brocklesby is also expanding its R&D and analytical facilities where it will be undertaking research to use its own co-products to benefit the chemical and biotechnology industries.

Turning waste into profitAs is fitting for a company that recycles other people’s waste into useful products, Brocklesby is also undertaking research to use the by-products from the manufacture of its biodiesel to improve its own processes and to support the biotechnology industry.

Co products of the process include primarily fatty acids, and glycerine. These can be further processed for other industrial applications or to liberate free fatty acids for use as renewable fuels and other applications.

One such project with the University of York is to develop biodiesel-derived glycerine as a reliable raw material for industry.

Glycerine is the impure by or co-product of biodiesel production. The project is aimed at developing robust processes for purification and chemical conversion into more valuable chemicals.

The partnership has to date improved the quality of the co-product up to a commercial specification. The research is now focused on using this material in higher value-added applications. Despite the extensive use of glycerol in a large number of goods, the product generated at Brocklesby will be excluded from most applications as it is derived from a waste material and current regulations require specific means of disposal.

The Brocklesby process Brocklesby’s processing uses a range of techniques to separate and refine oils and fats to manufacture feed fats, biodiesel, and liquid biofuels replacing petroleum derived mineral oils. The company also valorise biofuel co-products into free fatty acids and glycerine. These free fatty acids have been sold into community heating markets in Scandinavia and glycerine employed as feedstock for anaerobic digestion and fermentations into added value chemicals

The latest company development allows further processing of oil rich food waste to recover the oil stream.

These oils and fats extracted from the process then undergo purification stages so that they can be used in biodiesel and other technical applications markets. The solids stream which remains has the potential to become a solid fuel and can be utilised in composting or anaerobic digestion.

The oils processed are of varying fatty acid compositions, which are analysed in the laboratory facilities, prior to reacting and or blending, then delivering to end customers. The techniques allow Brocklesby to produce biofuel grades below 1% fatty acid content, and are therefore usable by the biofuel industry.

An environmentally and economically acceptable route for glycerol is the production of valuable chemicals. The research is investigating ways to turn this by-product into plastic and fuel additives, or binding agents. A number of processes are being investigated including: • Oligomerisation; production of

polyglycerols and similar compounds with potential use as building blocks for polymers or specialty lubricants;

• Esterification; esters of organic acids are well known glycerol derivatives with applications, such as fuel additives or plasticisers;

• Hydrogenolysis; with focus on the production of 1,2-propandiol, 1,2-PDO is employed in antifreeze/cooling formulations;

• Bioconversion; into other platform chemicals such as succinic acid to 1,3-propanediol, employed in polymer chemistry.

Lorenzo Herrero Davila, Research Associate at Brocklesby Ltd, says: “The growing demand for biofuels and the growing interest from academia are two very positive signs that industrial biotechnology is generating a lot of excitement - showing huge commercial potential as well as sparking interesting areas of research. This is an exciting area to work in which could make some significant changes to the world over the next few years”.

Company News

The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum newsletter 03

technology is used when both colour and transparency are required. Alternatively, pigment colour is added at the beginning of the casting process to produce speciality colours.

As a leader in the manufacture of traditional Cellophane™ products, Innovia Films began to consider ways in which they could develop new materials which were more environmentally friendly whilst retaining the level of quality necessary for commercial use. Spurred on by European standards developed in 2000 to measure compostable qualities of products, Innovia Films developed NatureFlex™. NatureFlex™ is a bio-film which has been developed from strongly renewable resources (wood-pulp from managed plantations), using processes associated with Cellophane™ films and viscose fibres.

‘To achieve the required composting standards for NatureFlex™, we altered the chemistry of our traditional manufacturing processes’ says Andy Sweetman, Business Development Manager at Innovia Films. ‘This involved significant investment in process improvements to ensure that any environmental impacts are minimised; including a state-of-the-art gas recovery system that collects waste gases and reintroduces them into part of the process.’

Over a ten-year development process, scientists at Innovia Films applied a series of improvements to NatureFlex™, helping the product overcome challenges associated

As a leading manufacturer of speciality, flexible packaging, Innovia Films provides firms across the globe with flexible films which become part of the packaging process for a wide variety of consumer goods. The company produces two families of speciality products and holds a leading global position in the markets for labels and security films, high performance coated packaging, tobacco overwrap and renewable and compostable films.

The first, Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP), a plastic-based material that is made from oil. BOPP fulfils a number of characteristics necessary for manufacturers packing their products, including excellent barrier to water vapour and being resistant to oils and grease.

The second stream of product is Cellulose, which begins life as a natural material – wood. Sourced according to environmental standards, the wood then experiences a series of chemical processes to help turn it into film suitable for packaging. Firstly, Innovia’s scientists break wood pulp down to a viscose liquid that is repeatedly filtered to minimise waste and maximise the purity of the material.

The viscose is extracted and enters a series of rollers and baths which clean and soften the material to the standards required by Innovia’s customers. Once this process is complete, the cellulose product exists as rolls of transparent film that can be coloured using one of two methods. Dye-bath

The sweet taste of IB successCumbria-based packaging manufacturer Innovia Films is harnessing the emerging area of bioplastics to create renewable packaging for some of Britain’s best-loved brands

with compostable materials. Developing moisture-barrier properties were essential to protect the shelf-life of products as well as a good standard of heat resistance. By 2008, NatureFlex™ was the market-leader in compostable, barrier packaging and ready for a new challenge.

‘To achieve the required composting standards for NatureFlex™, we altered the chemistry of our traditional manufacturing processes’Increasing consumer demand for more environmentally-friendly packaging resulted in Nestlé UK selecting NatureFlex™ to wrap one of its signature confectionery brands – Quality Street. Having supplied Nestlé UK for many years with its coloured Cellophane™ products, the confectionary brand approached Innovia Films to develop a range of certified compostable films to match, as closely as possible, the existing range of coloured Cellophane™ films.

“Developing a range of coloured films that so closely match the requirements of such a recognised brand and that meet the strict requirements of the composting legislation was a real challenge which we are delighted to have been able to deliver,” says Sweetman. Having developed technologies to advance raw materials into renewable and compostable packaging for commercial use, Innovia Films now welcomes engagement with companies further up the supply chain that are looking to harness sustainable packaging and products for their brand. For more information, please contact Andy Sweetman [email protected]

http://www.innoviafilms.com

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engineering industry and were pushing the UK towards being purely a service driven economy. The Dome was an engineering project run by politicians, managers and consultants and it failed to deliver on cost and on the commercial proposition originally intended. The Olympics was run by engineers and was an outstanding success in terms of costs, timing, functionality, performance, real world impact and public perception.

Between these two projects, 12 years apart, there has been a notable swing in how politicians from across the political spectrum view the economy as a whole. There is now consensus on the need for a balanced economy where technology, engineering and manufacturing have a substantial contribution to make. Manufacturing doesn’t mean smoke stacks and huge production lines with tens of thousands of people on them; it is primarily about advanced technology that is making the world a safer, cleaner, more efficient, more sustainable and more enjoyable place. London 2012 shows what the UK is capable of in terms of massive projects, real innovation, sound engineering and cutting edge technology.

Last month I was lucky enough to have been in the Olympic Stadium for the Men’s 100m final. The atmosphere and the athletic talent on show blew me away. The construction of the Olympic Park itself is also a huge achievement and demonstrates what is possible when UK PLC engages the expertise of engineers and technologists.

I was a guest of Dow Chemicals, who have a strong presence in the UK. Their polyurethane binders were used in the 5,000 metres of track underlayment at the Olympic Stadium, helping protect the track from wear and providing a safe surface for athletes. Dow’s polyethylene resins were used to make the striking artificial grass in all the field hockey pitches. The vibrant blue and pink pitches were one of the things that gave the games such a striking visual identity. These are just two examples of the contribution that the chemical industry played in making the games, and the Olympic Park such a success.

Close by, the boxing was taking place at the North Greenwich Arena. The Millenium Dome, as it was once called, seems like a project from a very different era. That was when politicians on all sides appeared to have given up on a manufacturing and

IBLF News

Industrial Biotechnology shouldbenefitfromLondon 2012 legacy

The effective adoption of industrial biotechnology will add a valuable element to the chemical process industry’s toolkit - offering cleaner, greener, more sustainable process options to manufacture a vast range of products from pharmaceuticals and personal care to polymers and industrial coatings.

The UK has a world top three position in research and technology for biosciences and biotechnology coupled with a top ten position in the commercial size of its world competitive chemical process manufacturing base. We are therefore ideally placed to be a leader in the application of industrial biotechnology serving both the global industry and the global societal need for more resilient and sustainable solutions.

Industrial biotechnology has the potential to contribute £12 billion sales value to the UK chemical process industry by 2025. We are in the vanguard of demonstrating just how important the UK science, technology, engineering and manufacturing base is to creating a more balanced UK economy.

Ian Shott CBE, Industry Chairman

“polyurethane binders were used in the 5,000 metres of track underlayment at the Olympic Stadium”

The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum newsletter 05

The Task Force will hold face-to-face meetings twice a year to focus on the following actions:

1. Information gathering and progress measurement; to determine specific progress made towards generating an IB market worth £12 billion by 2025

2. Identify where future uptake of IB is most likely to be realised; using their network of contacts to influence IBLF strategy towards individual companies and entire supply chains

3. Establish milestone targets for 2015 and beyond; review current factors used to measure success and determine if they are the most relevant

4. Identify IB success stories from UK industry; to be used by the IBLF to demonstrate the potential of IB and progress which has been made in responding to the commercial opportunity

Colin Tattam, Project Director, Chemistry Innovation says:

“The new IB Industry Task Force provides an opportunity for business leaders to share their success in industrial biotechnology and inspire other organisations to take advantage of the growing commercial opportunity presented by the technology. Decisions made within the group will be used to drive the future of IB strategy in the UK.”

Leadership Forum calls on industry expertise to focus the next steps to realise the potential for Industrial Biotechnology in the UK

The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum (IBLF) has launched a new Industry Task Force to influence its national strategy and direct commercial success for UK businesses. A report commissioned by the IBLF in 2010 outlined four strategic objectives which would be necessary to move the UK to the strongest possible position in applying industrial biotechnology in a commercial context. Since publication of the report, an IB Task and Finish Group has been developing action plans for each of these objectives, including suggested milestones and techniques for measuring success.

“Decisions made within the group will be used to drive the future of IB strategy in the UK”The IBLF has now positioned an Industry Task Force to coordinate practical delivery of the plan and will be calling on key members of the industrial community to help drive forward UK progress in the sector. Following on from the Task and Finish Group, the new collective will be responsible for providing quantitative measures of progress that will be used to inform the strategic direction of the IBLF going forward.

Members of the group will include those familiar with the commercial benefits of IB and can demonstrate how its processes have been successfully applied to their business. The IBLF is inviting those individuals with a wide network of industry contacts to get involved, enabling the group to gain integral insight on current levels of engagement with IB amongst businesses in the UK.

Business Minister sees value of IB in actionMark Prisk visits Croda to discover the innovative biotechnology that is available for chemistry-using industries

On 8th August, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, Mark Prisk accepted an invitation to Croda’s site at Ditton, near Widnes to see first-hand the value that Industrial Biotechnology can create for UK industry.

The BIS Minister has shown a continued interest in the commercial prospects of Industrial Biotechnology and has contributed during all of the IBLF meetings during the last two years. On behalf of the IBLF, Croda invited Prisk to see practical applications of the technology which has been shared during the Leadership Forum’s meetings.

The visit started with a presentation from Keith Layden, Chief Technology Officer at Croda, outlining the ways in which the global chemicals company is harnessing IB across a range of products which enter a number of key markets, including personal care and polymers. The global chemicals company also announced the acquisition of Italian company IRB (Istituto di Ricerche Biotechnologiche SpA), the world leader in the application of plant cell technology for personal care and health care products.

“At Croda, we take pride in the success of our bio-innovation, applying the technology from terrestrial, plant and marine sources. We were delighted to welcome the Minister to our site to see IB in action and to help demonstrate the opportunities this technology can create for a broad range of chemistry-using industries. His enthusiasm for the technology and how we are applying it was evident during the visit and much appreciated by all. The visit coincided with our IRB announcement; a move which highlights Croda’s commitment to developing our competence in the field of biotechnology and desire to foster expertise within UK industry” says Keith Layden.

The Minister then had the opportunity to visit Croda’s fermentation facility to witness how the company develops their IB processes before visiting the laboratory facilities to see how finished products are evaluated to ensure their suitability for market. By demonstrating how IB is used and the quality of output, organisers aimed to bolster government support for the technology and opportunities it can create for UK PLC.

New Industry Task Force launched to drive progress in UK industrial biotechnology

In Memory of Dr John Sime,

CChem FRSCIt is with great sadness that we report on the death of Dr John Sime

on the 14th July 2012. John had been suffering from a long-term illness for some months, however even during his last weeks he continued his interest and participation into the IBLF delivery team activities.

John, who was the Deputy Director and IB Sector Lead of the Biosciences KTN, had a long and illustrious career within the Industrial Biotechnology area. Working mainly in bioprocess R&D, he held positions within GSK, as global head of biotransformations, was R&D Director at Zylepsis and Business Development Director at Novacta. John then became Director of the Bioscience for Business KTN, during which time he played an active and lead role in the IB Innovation Growth Team (IB-IGT), which subsequently led to the formation of the IBLF, of which he remained a key member.

John played a vital role in driving the uptake of IB, not just within the UK, but across Europe as well. In the past year John has been one of the lead instigators of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Norway to collaborate together in the areas of IB and bio-refining.

John’s enthusiasm for IB has been communicated in numerous national and international presentations and through his participation in a variety of committees and activities in the field. Notable is his input in to European policy through membership of the EuropaBio IB council, the knowledge based bio-economy (KBBE) policy group and EFIB organising committee, always ensuring that UK capabilities were represented.

Indeed such is the respect for John’s knowledge and input into IB in Europe that EuropaBio and EFIB have established a John Sime Innovation Award. The inaugural award will be presented at EFIB 2012 for the best presentation given as part of the conference’s innovation track. In addition, the organisers of the pre-conference workshop on Marine Biotechnology have decided to dedicate the session in his memory, as a celebration of his strong support for blue biotechnology.

It is this impact and his never-ending passion and commitment to help facilitate and encourage the uptake of IB in the UK chemistry-using industries that will be greatly missed by many, including his colleagues on the IBLF.

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Members of the Industry Task Force will be encouraged to share details of their own success with IB and those within their network of contacts to inspire previously unengaged companies to realise the benefits of harnessing this technology. The opportunity to bridge the gap between these two categories will provide longer-term benefits for the UK market. By expanding industry’s use of IB we can create a vibrant and diverse supply chain in the UK – reducing our reliance on imports and adding value to domestic markets. As the group develops we will be looking to establish milestone targets for 2015 and beyond, including areas of government agenda which we can collectively influence.

I look forward to working with industry leaders to develop UK capabilities in IB, expanding opportunities for our skilled workforce and securing our place as a global leader in the field.

Steve Bagshaw is Managing Director of Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, a leading manufacturer for the biopharmaceutical industry.

When I became a member of the Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum in June 2011, its Task and Finish Group were in the middle of developing an action plan designed to enable UK industry to successfully engage with industrial biotechnology. Nearly a year on, the action plan is complete and it is with great enthusiasm that I take on the role as Chair of the new Industry Task Force – the group responsible for overseeing practical delivery of the plan. On paper, the group intends to bring together successful industrialists to identify key IB opportunities for the UK and work strategically to drive progress, but what will this mean in practice? Initially, we will be looking towards the groups’ members to support our knowledge capture regarding levels of IB engagement across the UK. We believe that this currently falls into two categories; firstly, there are those companies working in sectors where IB is the obvious way forward for their commercial offering and so have made biotechnology a core market service. Alternatively, there are a vast number of businesses that could exploit IB as a route to market, but remain unengaged due to lack of guidance or reliance on traditional means – regardless of their sustainability or cost-effectiveness.

Industry has a key role to play in the knowledge capture necessary for future IB engagementSteve Bagshaw, Chair of new Industry Task Force shares his vision for the group

Photo ©iStockphoto.com/Yuri_Arcurs

The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum newsletter 07

Sustainable High Value Chemical Manufacture Through IB

Competition for feasibility and collaborative R&D funding open October 2012

In their High Value Manufacturing Strategy (2012), the Technology Strategy Board committed to funding projects with the potential to deliver high value economic impact across global market sectors. Industrial Biotechnology includes key capabilities which are eligible for funding, including the potential to build new business models to support high value manufacturing processes.

On 1st October, the Technology Strategy Board will launch a funding call worth £2.75 million in business models feasibility, technical feasibility studies and collaborative R&D projects that utilise IB to produce chemicals. Sustainable High Value Chemical Manufacture Through IB will direct funding towards projects that competitively apply sustainable bio based feedstocks and/or biocatalytic processes in the production of chemicals.

Projects may include aspects of one or more of the following areas:

• Extraction of high value chemicals from biomass• Identification and optimisation of biocatalysts for the production of chemicals• Optimisation and development of biotransformation processes• Novel bioreactors and downstream processing• Extending biocatalyst lifetime• Use of green solvents and/or recycling solvent (including water)

This competition aims to stimulate collaboration between the chemical sector, industrial biotechnology developers and higher education institutions. All projects should show consideration for impact on the broader bioeconomy.

Key datesCompetition opens: 1st October Briefingday: 4th OctoberRegistration deadline: 7th November (noon)Application deadline 14th November (noon)Applicants informed: 18th December

Next steps: To receive full details of the competition see www.IBLF-UK.com or contact Jean Phillips: [email protected]

For free assistance in building successful projects and advice on proposal writing contact Yvonne Armitage ([email protected]) or Rebecca Farnell ([email protected]) at the Biosciences and Chemistry Innovation Knowledge Transfer Networks.

Business Support

Advancing the industrial application of synthetic biology

£6.5 Million available to explore new frontiers in sustainable chemical production

The Technology Strategy Board, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) are to invest up to £6.5m to encourage businesses to explore innovative industrial applications of synthetic biology.

Synthetic biology is an emerging, multidisciplinary approach at the intersection of engineering, bioscience, chemistry and IT. It aims to design and engineer novel biologically based parts, devices and systems, and redesign existing natural biological systems for useful purposes.

The ability of synthetic biology to achieve its full potential depends on the development of effective research and innovation strategy,

Building a European Knowledge Based Bio-Economy

Bringing together science and industry to support European growth

Against the backdrop of the current economic situation and an increased global competition, the European Union has defined a strategy to support smart growth and job creation: Europe 2020 – A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. A key objective of the strategy lies in ‘Building a European Knowledge Based Bio-Economy’ (KBBE) by bringing together science, industry and other stakeholders, to exploit new and emerging research opportunities that address social, environmental and economic challenges.

Industries and processes which can utilise biological resources for commercial benefit now have the opportunity to receive funding as part of 120 million Euros made available by the European Commission. Launched as part of Work Programme 2013 – Theme 2: Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology, Activity 2.3: Life sciences, biotechnology and biochemistry for sustainable non-food products and processes will provide funding in the

as well as support mechanisms, including funding. Demonstration is a critical step that determines whether a technology will move from the scientifically possible to the technologically real. This competition aims to enable businesses to overcome these barriers, evaluate the potential of synthetic biology and accelerate its commercial use.

Funders are looking for collaborative, business-led projects and support is available for businesses of any size and research organisations. Up to £6.5m is available to support early stage feasibility demonstrator studies which will be funded at up to 75% of total eligible costs. Grants will not exceed £375k and the maximum project size is up to £500k.

Key datesCompetition opens: 8th October Briefingday: 15th October 2012Registration deadline: 14th November (noon)Application deadline: 21st November (noon)

Next steps: To receive full details of the competition, contact Jean Phillips:[email protected]

following specific areas:

KBBE.2013.3.1-01: Plant High Value Products - from discovery to final product KBBE.2013.3.2-02: The CO2 algae biorefineryKBBE.2013.3.3-01: Support for demonstrating the potential of biotechnological applications KBBE.2013.3.3-04: Optimal and cost-effective industrial biocatalysts KBBE.2013.3.4-01: Preventing and valorising bio-waste in biorefineries KBBE.2013.3.6-01: Novel bioinspired materials and processes KBBE.2013.3.6-02: Synthetic Biology towards applications

Key datesBrokerage event: 18th September 2012SusChem – the European technology platform for sustainable chemistry – will be hosting a brokerage event in Brussels on 18th September. The event is the perfect networking opportunity if you wish to present research and innovation project ideas relating to SusChem relevant FP7 calls on NMP, Energy, Environment, Transport, ICT and KBBE / FAFB. www.suschem.org Application deadline: 5th February 2013

For more information contact: Claire Claessen ([email protected])

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processing methods. Sitting at the heart of these established centres, the BDC will combine the work at each facility to deliver industrial benefit.

The BDC’s process development unit has facilities to work at the 10-100kg range enabling it to make sufficient quantity of product for companies to test at a meaningful scale. This provides a mechanism for businesses to discover whether the product could be developed on an industrial level, providing an important bridge between the research stage and commercial output.

ERDF funding allows the centre to offer complimentary short-term business support to SMEs looking to develop products as part of the bio-based economy. The BDC’s open access high tech facilities are staffed by technical experts who can support companies with limited technical equipment in testing their research across a range of high-tech processes. SMEs to large companies can benefit from the centre’s unique combination of fast track plant breeding in their Feedstock Development Unit and novel extraction and processing technologies in the Process Development Unit.

“The centre aims to support around 200 small or medium companies in new ways to convert plants and wastes into high value products.” says Joe Ross, Director, Biorenewables Development Centre. “The chemical industry and agriculture are an important part of the local economy in Yorkshire and the Humber and the BDC will build on this strong base adding 150 new jobs and around £13 million of added value to the local economy by 2015,”.

Companies interested in getting involved should contact Mark Gronnow [email protected]

University of York launches UK’sfirstBiorenewable Development CentreNational centre joins together academia and industry to develop new ways to convert plants into high value chemical products and secure UK’s position as top-three global producer

The University of York has launched a new initiative to support UK industry in its transition to a low-carbon, bio-based economy. The Biorenewable Development Centre (BDC) provides open-access facilities for companies looking to bridge the gap between laboratory research and commercial deployment of green technology. Developed in response to demand from industry, the centre enables companies to test, develop and most importantly, scale up their biorefining processes.

Funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the BDC helps companies profit from new technologies, improve existing product lines, or develop new ones. The UK aims to become a top three global producer of high value chemicals from plants over the next decade – a position that will support the application of industrial biotechnology to the low carbon market. The BDC will help the UK fulfil this ambition.

The initiative builds on the internationally recognised research into biorenewables, carried out at the University’s Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) and the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE). This allows the BDC to offer both state of the art technology for optimising plants and microbes as feedstocks for industry as well as expertise and facilities for development and demonstration of novel

EFIB – European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology & The Biobased Economy 201216- 18th October 2012

Now in its fifth year and following record attendance in 2011, this year’s European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and Bio-based Economy takes place on 16–18 October in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Gathering together the foremost representatives of Europe’s industrial biotechnology community, EFIB 2012 will provide networking and business exchange opportunities, alongside an extensive exhibition from some of the sector’s market leading organisations.

For more information click here

Processing Lignocellulosic Biomass 8th November 2012, CPI, Wilton Centre, Cleveland, UK

Organised by SCI and supported by the IBLF, Chemistry Innovation KTN and Biosciences KTN, this event focuses on the UK role for biomass conversion, and the business and commercial implications of the technologies being developed.

For further details click here

Biosciences KTN Annual Conference12-13th November 2012, Edinburgh

The third Annual Conference of the Biosciences KTN, ‘Impact through Biosciences’ will build on the success of previous conferences, providing a unique forum for interactions between industry, researchers and policy makers from a range of disciplines and market sectors.

For more information click here

Leading IB: A UK Showcase22-23rd January 2013, Westminster, London

A 2-day event showcasing new UK products and processes made possible through industrial biotechnology.

The global bioeconomy is gaining pace and the UK is positioning itself at the forefront. Illustrating the progress made in exploiting industrial biotechnology in the UK, the event will provide delegates with the opportunity to see recent examples of success, meet new collaborators, gain understanding of available facilities and find routes to access public and private finance.

This event will be attended by senior industrialists, leading academics, technology providers and policy makers. Setting out the IB strategy and agenda for the UK to realise the £12bn opportunity*, this is an event not to be missed.

*In 2009, the IB-IGT report “Maximising UK Opportunities from Industrial Biotechnology in a Low Carbon Economy” estimated an opportunity of up to £12bn sales for the UK by 2025.

More information and registration details can be found by clicking here

Academic Centre Events

Photo from Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC)